Stage 4: The E-Zine Paradigm

The paradigms described so far have all been passive in the sense that the web has served only those users who happen to find it. In the next stage of web culture, explicit attempts are made to build a recurrent readership.

• Regularly updated content draws repeat visitors.
• Entertaining the user.
• Competitions.
• Promotions.
• Free stuff.
• Active publicising of the site.
• Content update guarantees - very important.

Culture Impact

• Appointment of an E-Zine editor.
• Staff must know about the E-Zine and contribute.
• Commitment of staff to generate content.
• Staff should develop an awareness of what's happening on the net.

Example

A good example of an E-Zine is Salon Magazine which is now updated every weekday and which draws a substantial amount of traffic. Salon Magazine is a proper online magazine, but it shows what can be achieved by updating content regularly and reliably.

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